One annoying and time consuming aspect of the use of a socket wrench is the sticking of a nut within the socket once the nut is unthreaded from its associated bolt or stud. The nut may stick because it is covered with grease or dirt, which causes the nut to be held within the socket. In other situations, the nut may be jammed within the socket because of the forces exerted in unthreading the nut. In the past, it has been typical to pound the socket against the floor or another surface to knock the nut out of the socket or, if using an air or electric powered impact or rachet wrench, spinning the stuck nut from the socket to send the nut flying across the floor or through the air, or alternatively, to use a screwdriver or some other pointed object to wedge out the nut, all of which are time consuming and annoying. Also, whenever a sharp tool is used to pry an object from where it is stuck, or a nut flies from a powered tool, the potential arises for personnel injury. Certainly, if the nut could be ejected directly into a can or box, productivity would be increased.
Attempts have been made in the past to facilitate the release of a nut stuck in a socket. U.S. Pat. No. 1,629,217 to Largent discloses a socket wrench system which includes means to eject the nut from the socket. The shaft or handle bar 5, of the wrench has a longitudinal bore 11 for a slidable ejector pin 12 which is rigidly attached to the sleeve 16, which is slidable along the shaft. When the sleeve is moved forward it drives the ejector pin which engages a second pin 19 that rigidly locks the socket in place while the nut is being ejected A circular disc 13 is attached to the forward end of the pin 12 to engage the nut and eject it from the socket.
U S. Pat. No. 2,264,573 to Johnson discloses a nut ejector system which includes resilient ejector members 35 which expand radially when advanced from the board 25. The ejector members expand until they contact the internal wall of the socket, and their continued advancement pushes the nut clear of the socket. The ejector members are shaped like claws 36 so as to provide the additional function of grasping articles when the socket is removed.
A satisfactory ejector has yet to be developed for use in the mass market. Thus, a need still exists for such a device.